Tuesday, July 24, 2012

I have several more ideas for my Tennis Ball Canisters. (please see the previous 2 posts for other ideas for these sleek, tall ,clear tubes).

Wouldn't it be fun to create your own Find It game?

Here is an example of a "store bought" game.

I was thinking about all of the "stuff" I could gather up from around my house:

tiny toys in the bottom of the toy bins
marbles
coins
junk drawer items
small notes to your child on a piece of heavy plastic
shells from the beach
an important rock
a treasured lego guy

Make a list as you plop the items into the canister. Then fill with birdseed, or styrofoam balls. (rocks or sand will scratch the interior of the plastic container). Make sure to hot glue the lid into place. Hand your child "The List" and watch them scramble to find all of their treasures.

Friday, July 6, 2012

As you know, I've happened upon an entire case of empty tennis ball cans. They somehow inspired me.

Here's how to make a BIRD FEEDER out of one:

The inspiration.

Find a few sticks the yard and cut them an inch or two wider than the width of the canister.

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Drill 4 holes through the tennis ball can, directly across from one another in order to slide the sticks through. You may need to play around with the diameter of the drill bit, it should be slightly larger than the sticks you are using.

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I ended up using a sharp knife to remove the plastic that remained after using the drill.

Also drill a few smaller holes: one each over the stick perches for the finch food dispenser, and 2 across from each other near the lid to slide a piece of twine through to hang it.

Dab around each stick with some hot glue to seal the stick into place.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

I just found out about a new reality show called "Farm Kings". It's airing this fall on Great American County's cable network. It's about a local farm family with 10 children (9 boys, 1 girl) making a living at farming. I've seen "the boys" around the town where I grew up, mostly at Tractor Supply.

The reality show focuses on the hard work and dedication to a way of life that is hard to understand unless you've lived it. The brothers have built quite a business supplying local produce at their own farm stand, selling to local restaurants, and adding baked goods from their own bakery to their offerings.

Their message is to buy local and support local farmers. Their hope is to make farming "cool". I sincerely smile when I wish them the best of luck. Their unorthodox "beefcake" style will capture attention, and I think their message comes through loud and clear.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I've always wanted to make one of these succulent wreaths. I've seen them in catalogs, and always thought I could make a nicer one myself. Last year, I went on a hunt to a floral supply warehouse to look for the circular frame- I had in mind a wire type wreath form. I had no luck. I have been turning the idea over in my mind trying to come up with the right container.

I was thinking about it last week when my friend, Jen's birthday came around. A group of us always celebrate each other's birthdays with a handmade gift. I thought about a bundt pan as a container. I called Marzipan to see if she wanted to go to the local thrift store to see if we could find something vintage. We both thought a bundt pan's sides would be too high, she suggested a jello mold.

With high hopes, we set off looking for something very specific -- and wouldn't you know it-- they had the PERFECT vintage jello mold for me to plant some sweet succulents in.

I lined the bottom of the pan with small stones, then added the plants..I thought I'd need extra sandy soil, but the dirt from the original pots was sufficient to plant all the succulents in the perfect pan. I was even able to droop some of the vining plants over the pan's edge for a more established look.

My friend, and birthday girl, Jenifer Juniper uses this pretty planter as a centerpiece to her patio table. The umbrella slides right through the center of the pan!

Friday, May 4, 2012

I was at an event recently where they served Ramps. They included them is a salad, and it was kept a secret who brought them. Apparently, Ramps are rare, and if you know where to find them, or where a bed of Ramps is located in a woodland, you don't share this information.

I had no idea there was a "secret society" of Ramp lovers. In fact, I had never even heard of a Ramp until that night.

The ramp, sometimes called wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America. Though the bulb resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves set it apart. According to John Mariani, author of "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink," the word ramp comes from "rams," or "ramson," an Elizabethan dialect rendering of the wild garlic. Ramps grow from South Carolina to Canada, and in many areas they're considered a spring delicacy and even a reason for celebration. West Virginia is well-known for their many festivals and events in celebration of the ramp. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic, and the garlic odor is particularly strong. Strong enough, in fact, that even ramp-lovers will advise caution. If you sit down to a big meal of ramps, don't be surprised if people continue to keep their distance after a few days have passed!
Cautions aside, ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavor to soups, egg dishes, casseroles, rice dishes and potato dishes. Use them raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks, or cook them in a more traditional way, scrambled with eggs or fried with potatoes. Since ramps aren't cultivated in the way leeks are, they're much easier to clean. Just cut off roots, rinse thoroughly, and scrub off any excess dirt on the bulbs.
Ramps aren't available for long, but you can chop and freeze them for cooked dishes. The green tops are milder in flavor and are usually used along with the bulbs. I chop about half of the green leaves separately, air-dry them for a few hours then freeze them in an air-tight container for future use as a seasoning.

I went for a walk the other day, and with a keen eye, I noticed some ramps scattered here and there...maybe just enough to try some Ramp and potato soup!!

Monday, April 23, 2012

My kids and their endless imaginations never cease to amaze me. Here's my NEW favorite App for my iphone. It's called "Silent Film Director".
I love the grainy old time film, and the music just makes anything they do seem funny!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

My Mom really loves 4 leaf clovers. She used to "sell" them to a neighbor lady when she was little. She'd earn a penny for any genuine 4 leaf clover that was given to the neighbor, and the neighbor stuffed her bible with 4 leaf clovers.

My mom had 4 kids, and I have 4 kids. My mom told me once that each leaf of a lucky 4 leaf represented one of her kids. I thought it would be cute to have each of my kids hold a green heart shape and have them form a 4 leaf clover with them.

If you want to make one:
cut heart shapes out of green construction paper
hold them together to form a clover shape
take a photo
upload to a site like Picnik and edit
You don't have to have 4 kids: have one kid hold 2, or include yourself or the dog
it's fun and easy!

Friday, March 9, 2012

I made this easy scarf recently using an old t-shirt, some bleach, a sharpie and embrodery thread.

I have a friend who was a little blue. She's been going through some difficult times lately, and we were just talking about how she is trying to live by the mantra: "To Thine Own Self Be True".
We all know how easily we put ourselves last on the list for any attention, pampering, lunch.... (fill in the blank).

So, I made her this little lightweight t-Shirt scarf from a soft old shirt I came across.

Cut a long rectangle. (you can use a scarf you currently have as a guide) make it long or short depending on how you like it.

Cut strips of the fabric (6) to sew along the ends.

Take a q-tip dipped in bleach and gently apply the bleach to the edges of the strips. (The bleaching process takes awhile-don't get discouraged if the color seems a bit off at first).

Then take embroidery thread and stitch each strip to the ends of the scarf. I like the stitches chunky and uneven...handmade.

Lastly, add a personal message with sharpie along one of the stripes. If you kind of "dab" on the sharpie, it gives a weathered charcoal type of look.

Wrap yourself in the reminder to follow your dreams, and be true to yourself!

Friday, February 10, 2012

All of us parents are scrabling to come up with a Valentine Box this weekend.
My child just did a diorama (?) depicting bears in their natural habitat with my very last shoe box.

Now what? I'm not buying a pair of shoes just for the box. That is just plain silly.

So what am I to do? Naturally, I look in the trash and recycling bins.
What I DO have are these great plastic grape boxes from Costco.

Take some strips of tissue paper and apply elmers glue with a brush to the interior of the box. The tissue paper will go on easily, just brush it flat. Don't worry about using too much glue, the white will fade as the glue dries.

Then the fun part: use little squares of tissue wrapped over the end of a pencil, dip them in hot glue and then apply the frilly design to the outside of the box. The hot glue is super child resistant, and the glue sticks instantly. Please don't let the kids use hot glue-this is the parent part. (They can stick the poofs-you work the gun).

Ah, the traslucence of the tissue paper and the frill of the poof makes the perfect valentine box.

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Hope In Yellow

Receiving

Purpose

The Purpose of Life is a Life of Purpose.

For The Sheer Joy of It

Still and Quiet Woods

The Pasture

In a Nut Shell

"Successful Motherhood is a unique form of responsibility taking, rooted in an understanding of competing demands, compromise, nurture, making the best of things, weighing often competing limitations, in order to arrive at a realistic mode of survival"-Jane Smiley

Today's Snow

Appreciation

"When the Well is Dry, We Know the Worth of the Water."-Benjamin Franklin

One From Al

"The Significant Problems we Face Cannot be Solved by the Same Level of Thinking That Created Them"-Albert Einstein

Happy

"Whoever is happy will make others happy too" -Anne Frank

Logic

Pure Logic is the Ruin of the Spirit.

I've Read Versions of This, But This One Hits Home

If I had my child to raise over again, I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later. I'd finger-paint more and finger point less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I'd do more hugging and less tugging.-Diane Loomas

A Word on Today's Election Results

I usually avoid all political discussions, because they don't usually end well, I'd just like to quote former president Gerald Ford: "A government big enough to give you what you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

We don't get many of these in November

A beautiful late fall day.

Halloween Dinner

Complete with blood and bones

Happy Halloween

For My Brothers

If you are missing the sunsets...

An Interesting Perspective

A picture my daughter took from the forest floor.

Sunset from My House

A lot of people think that sunsets only happen on vacation. I grew up in a place where you could see the sun rise and the sun set. It has always been my goal to live in such a place. I get the most of my days. I always know which way is West.

A Selection of Gorgeous Joy Beads

Let It Go

Throughout your life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad, let God deal with the things they do, because hate in your heart will consume you too.--Will Smith

I'm Adding to My Wish List

I keep a little running list in my head of things that I want my kids to be. My list of things includes : Respectful, Compassionate, Courageous and Kind, among others. Today, as I was cleaning like a mad woman, I added Grateful to the list. How could I have forgotten Grateful? Yes, I'd like to live with people who appreciate my efforts.

Do What I Say

One of the main ways in which children aquire wisdom is by observing how their parents behave. Children are more inclined to do what their parents do than what they say, which means that parents need to think about their own behavior and set a good example.-- Paul Martin"Making Happy People: The Nature of Happiness and it's Origins in Childhood"

Best Mirror

The best mirror is a good friend.

Leaders

Those who walk in other's tracks leave no footprints.

Finished Product!

M's Pig Cake

I thought this was fun, because my 5yr. old drew the picture of the cake that she wanted to bake, THEN we made it together! It looked great!

A Great Life

A great life isn't about great huge things; it's about small things that make a big difference. -The Ikea Catalog

Another Perfect Hope Studios Frame

I have a wedding shower to attend, and when I heard that the groom proposed using the lyrics from this Red Hot Chili Peppers Song, I just knew a Hope Studios Frame would be perfect. Click the picture to link to her blog, you can place an order there too!

Gratitude

"Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude"-Wallace Wattles

Water Lillies

These are some of the lilles on our pond, I like the way that the water reflects the bricks of the house.

Couldn't You

just imagine the angels hanging out here?

Testing my New Camera

I thought these pictures from my new camera--a business expense- are going to work. This is one of my favorite new iridescent beads: Heaven

Ways to Judge Wealth:

"I'm filthy rich with laughter"-Big and Rich

McConnel's Mill Lush Moss and Fern Abundant Forest

Here's one of my favorite places...The sun coming down through the trees to dapple the moss covered rocks will make you believe that fairies really do exist!

Joybeadworks Interchangeable Bead Ring

These are available in my shop: click on the photo to visit!

The Secret

The Secret to Having it All...Is Believing That You Do.

Someone's Got to Write this Stuff Down

"A handle builds more character than a seat"-My Dad

Here's one from Arnie

Being passionate about something is the key to success. But using that passion to help others is the key to happiness.--Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ah, the Olden Days

All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife.--Daniel Boone

More Joy

There is Joy in work. There is no happiness except the realization that we have accomplished something.--Willa Cather

Fisherman on Captiva

Fos Jessica

Ok, so I'm bag crazy, bag sick over here. Thanks to M. I can't help it, it's so fun and the rewards are immediate. I have a friend that is going into the hospital today for her 5th or 6th major surgery. I made this for her and stuffed it with magazines and a journal. Send her some positive thoughts today.

Possibilities

Many possibilities are open to you-work a little harder.

Fortune Found Under my Car

I found this today under my car...I tend to take these things as a sign from someone/somewhere that I am on the right path. The fortune reads: Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Orange You Happy

Here's a recent order, and it goes to show that orange is not just for Halloween anymore. I had a bride order this necklace and ring to wear for her rehearsal dinner!

More Webkinz Collars

Here's the latest in a growing stream of collar orders.

My Poppies

I just love the crinkled paper-like petals. They are short-lived, but worth it.

My Favorite (other) Blogs:

Things to Come

Here's the latest: Aren't they fun? These are glass flowers made by team Joy! I'm making pendants and rings with them. Look for them in my Etsy shop soon! www.joybeadworks.etsy.com

The Gift

Here's something that I get from my Mom's side of the family: Her Scotch-Irish ancestors surely passed this on...It's the ability to spot 4 Leaf Clovers! I swear I can find one anywhere, and within minutes. Her whole side of the family held a strong belief that they held lots of luck.

Another for my Mom

I remember hearing this all of the time as we kids begged Mom to wait for us, as our shorter legs and small attention spans caused delays and doddling as we trudged up the hill from the barn through the orchard to the house: "Weight broke the wagon"!

For My Mom

"Seek and Ye Shall Find"-My Mom mostly, but the Bible too

In My Daughter's Eyes

This is a picture of she and I, as drawn by her. I love it that we are the same...both with bows in our hair. I don't think I have EVER worn bows in my hair, but I love it that she draws them.

Winston's Wisdom:

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm"--Winston Churchill

Fortune Cookie

There is beauty in simplicity.

My New Joy Beadworks Item:

Here is my newest item at http://www.joybeadworks.etsy.com/ . I'm excited about them! I started seeing those little Coach leather keychain photo books...here's my much less expensive, but equally as cute option.

Determination

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it"-Goethe

For J:

"In the midst of our daily lives, we must find the juice to nourish our creative souls"-Sark

Joy Beadworks Interchangeable Bead Ring

Queen's Thoughts

"To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those you love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness."-Mary Stuart Scottish Queen 1542-1587

Laundry?

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting laundry"-E.B. White

A Happy Life

Think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived. ---Anna Quindlen